The All India Muslim Majlis-e- Mushawarat, the umbrella body of Indian Muslim organisations, released an advisory and asked to vote for AAP or Congress at the national level and other secular parties like BSP, Trinamool Congress, JD(U), RJD, CPI, Union Muslim League and AUDF at regional levels.
Addressing a press conference in the national capital on 7 April, Dr Zafarul-Islam Khan, president AIMMM, said that the polity in India is at the threshold and people will have to differentiate between secularism and fascism and vote for a candidate who is secular with clean image and is in a position to defeat and frustrate the party and candidates with fascist ideology and agenda.
Dr. Khan, while replying to a question, said that even if the BJP, where an individual has become larger than the party comes to power, which is less likely and there is little to be worried about because there is Constitution, Parliament, Judiciary and Human Rights and these institutions will not let them do any wrong which is against the spirit of India. Dr. Khan however cautioned that if by any means they come to power by their own then they will surely try to dismantle and destroy all democratic setups and constitutional machinery to fulfil their agenda.
Mr. Muhammad Jafar, Vice President AIMMM, on the question of differences in the advisory issued by JIH and AIMMM, replied that there is no difference between the two advisories because the basic feature of the guidelines issued by both the organisations that people should vote for clean and secular candidates remains the same and the message is to defeat the fascist forces. On the question whether such advisory will encourage negative voting, Prof. Muhammad Salim Engineer, Central Committee member of AIMMM, said that to ask to vote on the lines to safeguard democracy and secularism is indeed the demand for positive voting and cannot be termed as negative voting.
The AIMMM leadership criticised the Congress government for not fulfilling the promises made during the 2009 Lok Sabha polls like 4.5 per cent reservation and much-hyped Communal Violence (Prevention) Bill. These leaders also criticised Samajwadi Party for failing to provide 9 per cent reservation for Muslims, release of innocent Muslims and ineffective handling of the Muzaffarnagar riots.
Mushawarat also announced support to its members contesting elections like Salman Khursheed (Farrukhabad), Mohammed Adeeb (Bijnore), Barrister Asaduddin Owaisi (Hyderabad), Maulana Asrarul Haque Qasmi (Kishanganj) and Sultan Ahmad (Uluberia).